Ichirou had a really good week. Sunday had been the beach, which he thankfully only got minor burns from, and then on Tuesday he went over to Masahiro’s house to watch more anime. It was a weird show for Ichirou, but he was interested in the character’s motivations, so he didn’t complain. It might have also helped that he got tipsy on a couple of glasses of wine that Masahiro had prepared for him. He had spent that night bundled up in Masahiro’s guest room, enjoying the warm comfort of Masahiro’s pheromones. For whatever reason, he really did sleep better when he was breathing them in.

Ichirou then spent the rest of the week reading more romance novels, watching a couple of dramas, and practicing his makeup so he wouldn’t get rusty, for if he happened to be able to open that beauty store he so desperately wanted. He also went through the clothes in his room, donating some of the things he didn’t wear as much so that he could make room for new clothes. It was an annoying task, but it had to be done if he wanted to continue shopping for cute clothes.

Ichirou and Masahiro decided to change the date of their usual Saturday date to Friday, in order to miss some of the crowds. They were going to Tokyo Dasneyland finally, and Ichirou couldn’t be more excited. He had been to the one in Florida a year ago, but he hadn’t gone to the Tokyo one since high school. Regardless of whether it was an actual date or not, it was a cute date idea.

It wasn’t supposed to even get up to eighty today, so Ichirou took it as a sign to wear a long sleeved, pastel galaxy shirt and some short purple overalls. Chunky pink and purple sneakers with bows on them were over knee length white socks. He tied his hair back, and put a large, purple bow on top of it. He also had a pastel color block backpack that had his water bottle, and his wallet.  After some makeup that included star shaped chunky glitter, Ichirou was ready to go.

Ichirou stepped out of his home as soon as he got the text, seeing Masahiro doing his classic “lean against the car” move. Masahiro was wearing a deep blue button up notch shirt, with some black slacks. The sleeves went halfway down his arms, but the damn shirt was so well fitted that Ichirou could see nearly as much of Masahiro’s muscles as he had on the beach.

After a quick greeting, Ichirou got into the passenger side, as usual. Ichirou set the bag at his feet and buckled up, a wide smile on his face. Masahiro looked amused by this, but he didn’t say anything, not wanting to ruin Ichirou’s good mood. He pulled out of the driveway, beginning on his way to Dasneyland.

“So, just to be sure, are you good with fast rides?” Masahiro asked as they drove.

“Um, mostly? I might end up clinging to you and screaming really loud,” Ichirou admitted, his face a bit pink. “I’ll try not to, obviously, but sometimes I just panic. Ichika hates sitting next to me on fast rides because of that.”

Masahiro laughed at that. “Well, if you need to, you can always cling to me.”

Ichirou turned even more red at that. “H- hush up, you!”

“Sorry, I can’t help but tease you a bit. I also got us reservations at one of the restaurants. We’ll have to figure out what we wanna do for lunch, though. Sorry about that,” he said, giving an awkward laugh.

“It’s fine, we’re adults, we can find something to eat,” Ichirou said, pulling out his phone to look up Dasneyland’s website. “I’m so excited.”

Masahiro nodded. “Well, that’s good to know. If you want to, we can go multiple times.”

Ichirou looked up to Masahiro with excited, sparkling eyes. “Really?”

Masahiro laughed. “Yeah of course!”

The two men continued chatting for the duration of the drive. It took them a moment to find parking, but when they did, they quickly got out and made their way up to the ticket booths. The sky above was gray, but that just made it feel cooler. It seemed like it might rain at some point today, but for now it was just a little bit cool. Despite it being just barely September, it was nicely cool.

Ichirou and Masahiro made their way into a line to enter the park. Masahiro gave them two park tickets, and, after a quick check of their bags, they were back in. Ichirou bounced excitedly past several flowerbeds, one in the shape of the iconic rat character that Dasney was so famous for.

They went into a large building that had the words “Tokyo Dasneyland Welcome” written above the archway entrance in English text. The building looked like an early twentieth century American building, with white columns and red brick. As they walked through the arches, the rest of the “small town” erupted before them. Various buildings in the same architectural style but in different colors and styles folded out before them. They were mostly filled with shops, but there was an occasional restaurant in there as well.

“So, where do we wanna go first?” Ichirou asked, pulling out the map on his phone.

“I was thinking the futuristic land. I always like to go to the Super Space Coaster,” Masahiro said, leaning over to see what Ichirou was pulling up.

“Oh, god, that one first? I’m gonna need to go on something chill after that one,” Ichirou said, eyebrows raised.

“That’s totally fine by me. So, are you up for it?” Masahiro asked with a grin.

“Yeah, I am. I think.” Ichirou gave a shy, and somewhat awkward smile.

He got pretty scared when it came to roller coasters, if he was being honest. Something about the speed and movement made him feel like he was about to pee his pants. He knew it was natural to scream on a roller coaster, but it really got his blood pumping. He almost wanted to ask to hold hands with Masahiro, but he felt like that would be way too embarrassing.

Ichirou and Masahiro walked through the crowds together towards the Super Space Coaster, walking by several gift shops and other rides. The buildings were made to look futuristic, with white and blue coloring. Everything was geometric as well, and the white building they were headed to was shaped almost like a cone that had the tip cut off so it was flat on top.

Because it was just after nine in the morning, the lines were still filling up. Ichirou and Masahiro were able to get into the building. The line on the inside of the building was dark, with some low blue lights and little white lights. Ichirou leaned slightly on the railing, a nervous smile on his face. This one always freaked him out.

“Are you okay? You look nervous,” Masahiro asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Y- yeah, this one just… makes me really scared,” Ichirou admitted.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Oh, um, uh, I- I mean, no…” Ichirou said, lying extremely convincingly.

Even despite the convincing nature of his lie, Masahiro spoke, not believing him. “So, there’s something I can do, but you’re too embarrassed to ask?”

Ichirou pouted at him, unable to say yes or no. It was true, he wanted to hold Masahiro’s hand, and maybe breathe in some of those nice pheromones of his, but he couldn’t just come out and say that. If he did, it would be almost like they were dating or something… which Ichirou definitely wasn’t interested in doing. The idea of asking for that sort of thing… it was definitely too much for Ichirou.

As the two made their way to the front of the line, Ichirou was becoming more anxious. It had been a while since he went on a fast roller coaster. Although he hadn’t cried on one since he was around twelve, he had this weird, gut feeling that he might cry again. He really couldn’t decide what was more embarrassing of the duo: crying or being vulnerable.

Maybe it was subconscious, or maybe Masahiro could sense that Ichirou was working himself up, but either way, Masahiro began to let out a low dose of his pheromones. Being that they were surrounded on both sides by other people, he was trying to not make it unpleasant for them if they could smell it, while still helping his poor “boyfriend” out. It did seem to help a little bit, and Ichirou calmed down a smidge. If nothing else, he wouldn’t be crying anymore. Probably. 

The ride attendant, who was putting on an incredibly fake smile, ushered them into the car seats. Ichirou sat to the left of Masahiro, and was trying to keep calm when suddenly, he saw Masahiro’s left hand. His hand was simply left open, an offering. Ichirou stared at it dumbly for a moment, before looking up at Masahiro. Masahiro was smiling pleasantly at him, not seeming to expect Ichirou to take his hand, but also seeming to be hopeful that he might.

Ichirou, in order to keep his pride intact, looked away. However, he did grab onto Masahiro’s hand. Masahiro let out a soft snorting sound, but before Ichirou could turn to glare at him, the ride began moving again. Masahiro’s long, thick fingers nearly encapsulated the back of the smaller man’s hand, leaving him with a very secure feeling. He didn’t like to admit it, even to himself, but Masahiro made him feel extremely safe in general.

The ride suddenly took off and Ichirou let out a loud shriek. He gripped onto Masahiro’s hand even tighter as he felt the wind blasting past his face. He could hear Masahiro laughing loudly and excitedly shouting and whooping. It was extremely terrifying, but the safety of Masahiro’s hand made him feel much more okay. Near the end, a flash blinded him, before the ride came to a jolting halt.

Ichirou and Masahiro let go of each other almost instantly, but some part of Ichirou wanted to keep holding hands. As soon as they were supposed to, Ichirou jumped out of the car on wobbly legs, with Masahiro trailing after, still making some excited noises.

“That was so fun,” Masahiro said.

“I think I’m gonna puke,” Ichirou groaned as he walked down the hallway that led out.

“I’m so sorry, that’s my favorite ride. Are you gonna be okay?” 

Ichirou nodded as they came to a wall that held several screens. Masahiro grabbed his arm, looking up at the screens. Ichirou looked at the screens of photos of people that were gripping the handlebars, many of them yelling. Suddenly, the screen directly in front of Ichirou changed, revealing Ichirou, eyes wide and his hair flung back gripping Masahiro’s hand, and Masahiro, who was grinning widely.

Masahiro pulled out his phone to the surprise of Ichirou, and took a photo of the screen. “Wh- Masahiro-san! What are you doing?!”

Masahiro grinned at Ichirou, the sort of smile that made Ichirou’s heart beat a bit harder for all of a second. “This picture is really cute. I wanna save it as a precious memory.”

As Masahiro and Ichirou walked out of the building, Ichirou’s face was bright red. If Masahiro noticed, he didn’t say anything. Why would Masahiro want a picture of them holding hands? That was so embarrassing. The only thing worse he could think of is if Masahiro set it to his lock screen or something.

“Let’s head over to The Happy Robot Ride, that might be a better ride for you,” Masahiro said, gesturing over to the southeast. 

“Okay, okay,” Ichirou said, his hand going over his nose after a particularly potent alpha stepped by.

The two men walked over to the next ride, getting in line. This one was a lot more gentle, and much more spinny. Ichirou was glad to have the crazy coaster over and done with. In front of them, a little girl, no older than four, was bouncing with excitement. She giggled and laughed, holding her two moms’ hands.

“She’s so cute,” Ichirou said softly to Masahiro.

“Yeah, she is. I’d love an adorable little girl like her someday,” Masahiro said with a hum.

Ichirou nodded. “Yeah, uh… I mean, it would be fun.”

“By the way, Ichirou-san, have you heard from Yuuhei-san this week?” Masahiro asked.

“Oh, um, yeah. Yuuhei seems like he’s in heaven,” Ichirou replied, an amused look on his face.

“So does Takeru. Every single time he texts me it’s like he’s on cloud nine.” Masahiro paused for a moment before continuing. “I really didn’t expect him to fall for Yuuhei like that. He’s always been such a playboy.”

“You mentioned that a while ago. Has Oda-san really never dated anyone or…?”

“Oh, he’s dated, but he’s never been serious. He’s always been super casual about dating and sex, but most of the time, when they find out about what he uses his spare bedroom for, they break it off. He’s never minded too much either. When he told me, like, a month and a half ago that he liked Yuuhei-san I was really shocked. He’s never told me he liked anyone before,” Masahiro said, shrugging.

“He’s liked Yuuhei for that long?” Ichirou asked, looking surprised. “Dang, he can really keep it hidden.”

“He sure can! And did. I think he told me that he actually fell in love at first sight,” Masahiro said, tapping his chin.

“Wow, for real? And the first thing he said to Yuuhei was that he looked like a frog,” Ichirou said with a chuckle.

Masahiro nodded and laughed. “Right? Oh, god, that was so lame. I’ve never seen Takeru flub a first meeting like that before. I was so shocked to hear him say that.”

“Is he normally pretty good with people?”

“As good as a horny bastard can be,” Masahiro said, an eyebrow raised.

“So, not good?”

“No, he’s actually great. He can be the fakest, most charming guy at the party. His parents were pretty thorough with their education with him. He’s probably more capable than me in almost every single way, whether that be in business sense or social skills,” Masahiro said with a shrug.

Ichirou folded his arms, looking at Masahiro with an expression of annoyance. “He’s not better than you at everything. Personality-wise, you’re much better. And um…” Ichirou’s face turned red. “Y- your body is better, too.”

Masahiro stared at Ichirou for a moment before his cheeks flushed and he looked away. “Oh, um… thank you. That means a lot to me.”

Ichirou wanted to slap himself. Why did he say that?! There was no need to say that! Masahiro didn’t need to know that Ichirou thought he was hot! Not that Ichirou really thought that Masahiro was hot or anything! He just was super muscular and toned and buff and Ichirou might think that’s attractive! It was nothing! He just didn’t need to say it!

Luckily for Ichirou, they got on the ride fairly quickly after. The spinning and slight jolts of the ride were enough to quell the awkwardness, and smiles and laughs came back into their conversation. This sort of slower ride was perfect for Ichirou, although, if Masahiro asked, he would be more than willing to try another faster ride again. They bounced around in the ride for a bit before it came to an end. Ichirou hopped out of the cars, somewhat dizzy, but giggling all the same.

They decided to go to the fantasy themed area next, with only one attraction on their to-do list. The ride was in what appeared to be a castle, and they had to wait in another long line. However, Ichirou and Masahiro didn’t seem to mind too much. They talked about their favorite Dasney movies, with Ichirou’s favorite being The Cutie and The Creature. Masahiro didn’t have one in particular, but he did like Play Story and Huge Hero Five.

This line was particularly long, because this was a new ride. The inside of the castle was really pretty, with gorgeous golden accents, ornate tapestries, and polished columns. Ichirou caught himself thinking that this looked a bit like his house. That wasn’t quite true, though; this was a Baroque style mansion, while their home was closer to Rococo. Still, both were ridiculously opulent. 

“Would you ever want to live in a castle, princess?” Masahiro asked, looking at a tapestry.

“I mean… wouldn’t you, if you had the option?” Ichirou asked.

“Nope, probably not.”

“What? Why not? It’s a castle!”

“Because, I’d rather live somewhere more modern. I love living in my apartment,” he said with a shrug. “There’s a pool, a gym, a spa…”

“Okay, but what if you could have all of that in a castle?” Ichirou asked.

“Maybe. Depends on how drafty it is,” he said with a grin.

Ichirou rolled his eyes. “Okay, whatever. You’re just being obstinate now.”

“Me? I would never,” he said with a slightly dramatic flair.

Ichirou and Masahiro shuffled forward in the line, passing by some suits of armor. Ichirou felt a tiny knot twist in his stomach. If he was a princess, then would a knight in shining armor come save him? As he thought this, his mind automatically filled in the idea with Masahiro in armor. He quickly waived those thoughts away, embarrassment making his cheeks turn red. Stupid, weird, random thought.

After going through a quick preamble for the story, explaining how The Creature became cursed, they soon got onto the ride. The ride was a slow one, with some spinning. Ichirou mainly wanted to go on it because it was a retelling of his favorite Dasney story. Animatronics of the girl and the monstrous-looking being moved about and appeared to sing. Although animatronics had gained something of a bad reputation over the past few years, these ones moved smoothly and didn’t have any of the creepy issues that most older models tended to have.

Ichirou got off the ride, and he and Masahiro walked down the long hallway together. As they walked out, Ichirou was bubbling with energy. He loved this sort of cute ride.

“That was so fun, oh my god,” Ichirou said, practically skipping.

Masahiro laughed. “It was cute, huh?”

Ichirou felt his face turn pink, and he pouted at his friend. “Don’t tease me.”

“I’m not, honest! The ride was cute. It was perfect for you.” Ichirou didn’t have time to process what cute = perfect for you meant before Masahiro was changing the subject. “It’s after eleven, do you want to grab some lunch before it gets too busy?”

“Sure!” Ichirou exclaimed. “Where do you wanna go?”

“Um, bring up that map on your phone again?”

After some back and forth, they decided to get hot dogs back near the entrance of the park. Well, Masahiro decided to get a hot dog, Ichirou got some chicken nuggets in the shape of Rodney Rat’s face and a salad. Beforehand, they went to another little shop and got some desserts, a pudding and fruit danish for Ichirou, and a cream bread for Masahiro. Because it wasn’t yet noon, it wasn’t terribly busy. The two men sat across from each other under a parasol, watching as people walked by.

“So, how’s your nose? The smells aren’t too bad, right?” Masahiro asked, chomping down on his hot dog, covered in cheese.

“There haven’t been too many alphas that are prostrating themselves here. I guess because this is technically a kid’s place, it’s not good to do that sort of thing,” Ichirou responded as he dipped his chicken nuggets in the ketchup.

“Good. I know these sorts of places can be hard for you, but you love going out, so…” Masahiro said.

“It’s true. The scents can be a lot, but going out so much has kind of steeled me to it,” Ichirou said, holding a nugget to his mouth.

“So, where do you wanna go after we eat? I’m thinking, since the sky has cleared up and it’s gotten warmer, we could go on the log flume,” Masahiro said, eyes flashing excitedly.

“Don’t you have to go down a huge waterfall for that one?” Ichirou asked uncertainly.

“Yup, but it’ll be fun! We can hold hands again, if you need.” Masahiro smiled warmly at his date.

Ichirou’s face turned red and he bent his head downwards. He shyly looked up to Masahiro, playing with his own fingers. “H… how did you know that’s what I needed in that moment?”

Masahiro looked surprised. “I didn’t. It was just the only thing I could think of to comfort you.”

Ichirou found himself unable to respond to that, so he just ate with more vigor. It didn’t make any sense. Why would Masahiro think to do that? How did Masahiro know him like that? It didn’t make sense. From the beginning, it felt like Masahiro knew him, and Ichirou really did feel like he must have met Masahiro from somewhere. He had no idea where, though, and he still had no idea.

Their next ride was across the park. Ichirou was getting hot, so he honestly didn’t mind going on a long walk to get on the log flume as much as he expected. Because they could, Ichirou insisted they walk through the castle. It provided momentary relief from the heat, and there was beautiful tile art of Cinderella. Once again, Ichirou was reminded of how nice it would be to live in a castle. He really should have been a Dasney princess.

The two men made their way through the fantasy themed area, and into the Southern American states themed area. A ferryboat made its way around a man made river, an island in the middle that was covered in trees. A wooden railroad followed their trek up to the clay looking mountain that the log flume was situated in. The line for the flume was even longer than the one for The Cutie and The Creature ride. As such, it provided a good time to chat.

“So, what do you wanna do next week? We haven’t really decided on anything,” Ichirou said, leaning against a wooden post.

“I dunno, do you… want to go to a park, maybe?”

“Hm… maybe. I kind of want an indoor date, after all this outdoor heat.”

“Okay, got it. Maybe we can go to a museum? What would you think about that?”

Ichirou jumped a little as they scooted forward in line. “That’s a good idea. I’d be into that.”

“And then do you want to do a– oh, shit, actually, we need to cancel that date,” Masahiro muttered as he looked at his phone.

“What? Why?” Ichirou couldn’t help but sound extremely disappointed. “I thought you were free this month still?”

“I am, I am, I just…” Masahiro’s face turned slightly pink and he scratched his cheek. “I looked at my calendar, and I’m supposed to… uh… be in… my rut. Next week. I totally forgot.”

Ichirou blinked a couple of times, before his own face flushed. “O- oh! Oh gosh! Um, are you… gonna be okay?”

Masahiro looked at Ichirou with a look of amusement. “Am I gonna be okay?”

“Sh- shut up! I just… I was worried,” Ichirou grumbled, looking away.

Masahiro laughed. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, that just is a funny concept. Yes, I’ll be fine. I just can’t leave my apartment for the week. Especially not to see you.”

Ichirou’s eyebrows raised. “What do you mean especially not to see me?”

Masahiro blinked a couple of times. “Because you’re an omega?”

“Oh. Right. I’m sorry, that was stupid,” Ichirou responded dumbly. 

“It’s fine,” Masahiro said with another laugh. “I would obviously never put you in that situation, so there’s nothing to worry about. I’d honestly rather die than hurt you. Or, I mean, any omega for that matter.”

Ichirou couldn’t help but wonder what Masahiro, or maybe even any alpha, was like when he was in a rut. In his sex education class he had learned about the vague mechanics of it, but he also didn’t know what an alpha in a rut even looked like. He knew there was porn of it out on the internet, mostly by independent porn creators, but he had never looked into it. It was way too embarrassing to think about, especially as someone who currently didn’t have someone to do it with.

He quickly shook the embarrassment out of his head. He couldn’t be thinking dirty thoughts like this while he was out and about. 

After waiting in line for over an hour and a half, Ichirou and Masahiro made their way into the plastic tube that was supposedly a log. Ichirou’s right leg and Masahiro’s left leg were pressed up against each other, and Ichirou felt an almost burning sensation. Was Masahiro’s leg just naturally that hot? Or maybe it was Ichirou’s. 

Masahiro held out his hand towards Ichirou. Ichirou hesitated, before shyly taking his “boyfriend’s” hand. Masahiro’s hand encapsulated his hand entirely, and Ichirou felt his heart speed up for all of a moment. However, he brushed it off, figuring that it must have been because he was nervous about the ride.

Ichirou, in fact, did shriek and close his eyes as they went down the final, giant hill, while Masahiro whooped and laughed loudly. Ichirou got wet, but not as wet as he had expected. He was only dripping a little bit. Ichirou and Masahiro released hands once again, before the pink haired man jumped out of the ride. 

“Okay, next we gotta go on the train ride,” Masahiro said excitedly as they walked out of the mountain shaped ride.

“Th- that’s another thrill ride!” Ichirou protested.

“Aw, come on, have I made you feel unsafe yet?” Masahiro asked, an almost flirtatious grin on his face.

Ichirou felt something like butterflies in his stomach. However, it could not be butterflies, because then Ichirou would absolutely have a crush on Masahiro. “Well, no, but…”

“Come on, we’ll only go on slow rides after this,” Masahiro insisted.

“I just… okay…” Ichirou conceded. He really didn’t have any real reason to not go on the ride, especially since he was feeling so much safer while holding Masahiro’s hand. 

Masahiro took pictures of the photo the ride had captured of them again, to which Ichirou hid his face from embarrassment. He just looked so lame! It was humiliating. Still, afterwards, they left the southern themed area and walked into a western United States themed area. There were red rock looking sculptures and houses that looked like they belonged in a cowboy movie.

The line, this time, mainly contained a conversation in which Ichirou questioned Masahiro about his favorite video game. He seemed to enjoy playing a hero in a fantasy setting, almost like a knight in shining armor. Ichirou tried his best not to allow his brain to tuck that information away, but he couldn’t help it. He was falling for Masahiro, hard and fast, but his stubbornness would not allow his lovey-dovey feelings to prevail.

Once again, they sat together on the train themed roller coaster, with their legs pressed up against each other. Masahiro was so tall and muscular that it caused issues for room on the ride, even with Ichirou being as small as he was. Still, Masahiro held out his hand, and once again, Ichirou took his hand, for the last time that day. Before the ride even began, Masahiro gently rubbed his thumb across Ichirou’s. It was enough to make his heart skip, although he wouldn’t admit it.

The ride started out a little bit fast as it went through what appeared to be caves, but once they were outside, it went insanely fast. Ichirou screamed, and, in absolute terror, grabbed onto Masahiro, burying his head into his side. Masahiro released Ichirou’s hand and wrapped his arm around Ichirou, pulling him tightly in. Ichirou spent the entire ride with his eyes closed, not able to take the thrill of it all. Even as the ride slowed, Ichirou did not move for a moment. It was only Masahiro’s voice that made him aware of his surroundings.

“You okay, Ichirou-san? I’m sorry, that ride was too much for you, huh?”

Ichirou pulled away, slamming himself onto the other side of the kart. Still, it wasn’t enough to keep him from touching Masahiro. His face burned bright red as he realized how much cowardice he had shown, and also how much he trusted in Masahiro to keep him safe. He didn’t even think about it, he just instantly attached himself to the other man.

“I’m okay!” Ichirou said, his voice cracking as he attempted to look at anywhere other than Masahiro. “I’m absolutely fine!”

Masahiro was quiet for a moment before he burst out laughing. “Okay, okay, sorry. You just made me really nervous when you grabbed onto me like that. I thought I really messed up.”

“Well, you didn’t! I just got really nervous is all!” Ichirou proclaimed.

Masahiro continued laughing in relief as the bar that kept them in place was released, allowing Ichirou to bolt out of the train car. Masahiro followed after, easily keeping up with his long legs. Ichirou kept in front of the other man long enough for his tomato of a face to turn back to its normal, pale tone.

The two men went back to the fantasy themed land at Ichirou’s request, and they got on both the carousel and the spinning teacup ride. Ichirou was a bit dizzy from them, but he didn’t feel scared like he did with the rides that Masahiro wanted to go on. They went on another ride, this one a little boat with singing animatronics that had a song that would easily get stuck in your head.

Ichirou and Masahiro then went down to the wishing well. Ichirou didn’t have any coins on him, but Masahiro did. Ichirou was unsure what Masahiro wished for, as the other man refused to tell him, but Ichirou wished for a way for him to have a boyfriend without having to worry about marriage. He flipped the 100 yen coin in, letting out a deep breath.

Masahiro let Ichirou know that they had enough time for one more ride, and so they agreed to go on the pirate themed ride that was in the same building as their dinner reservations. They had to walk for quite a bit to get to the building, and once they did, it was quite dark inside. It was kind of a goofy ride, with a few drops that admittedly made Ichirou grab onto Masahiro’s shirt sleeve, but overall it was fun.

With this, Ichirou and Masahiro waited outside the building for a bit for their reservations, before being let in. Despite it being in the same building, you couldn’t really hear the shrieks of people going down a hill. The restaurant was very dimly lit by lamps, and it looked like it was on a porch on the water. The tables were covered by white tablecloths, and (possibly fake?) plants adorned all of the walls. It was, all in all, a romantic place to come.

Ichirou naturally ordered sparkling wine, but he also got marinated scallops and octopus, smoked salmon, and Cajun shrimp, and parfait grasse with beignets. Masahiro on the other hand, got a draft beer and boiled beef cheeks in red wine, roast beef, and a porcini-flavored mushroom sauce. He didn’t get anything sugary, because, according to him, it was too much sugar for him. Ichirou couldn’t help but wonder if all the sweets he had been eating and all the drinks he’d been consuming had been catching up to him, as his swimming suit had gotten a little bit small on him. At least it wasn’t going onto his tummy.

“It’s delicious,” Ichirou said, after taking his first bite of smoked salmon, smiling. “Good food…”

“You really like food, huh?” Masahiro asked, a smile on his face.

Ichirou looked slightly miffed at that. “Y- yeah, I do, so what?”

“So nothing. I just like knowing these things about you,” Masahiro said with a laugh. “I just think it’s nice.”

Ichirou hummed, swallowing a piece of Cajun shrimp. “Well, you like food, too, right? So it’s no issue.”

He smiled reassuringly. “Exactly. So no need to worry.”

“Oh, by the way, I was thinking about stopping by that perfume shop that’s right next to here. That would be a fun souvenir, right?” Ichirou said, smiling.

Masahiro looked confused by that. “Why do you need perfume, though?”

“Obviously it smells nice,” Ichirou said.

“But you already smell great?” Masahiro asked, eyebrows knitting together.

Ichirou felt his mouth become a small “o” shape, and his cheeks redden. “Oh, I… you think I smell nice?”

Masahiro blinked a couple of times before he looked awkwardly down to his food, cheeks pink. “I mean… yeah, I do. So there’s not really any reason for you to get perfume, right? I mean… I guess if you wanted to make betas be able to smell you, too, I suppose that makes sense…”

Ichirou squirmed in his chair, looking away shyly. Why was his heart thumping so loudly? Damn it, he did not like Masahiro!

“Sorry, I realize how weird that was. We can totally go to that perfume shop,” Masahiro said, attempting to push through any awkwardness.

“No, no, it’s… it’s fine. It’s, um… good to know. Maybe we can get some other souvenirs instead, like some ears,” Ichirou said, trying to push away the awkwardness as well.

“You sure? I don’t wanna ever stop you from doing what you want to do,” Masahiro said seriously.

“It’s fine, I’m serious,” Ichirou said with an embarrassed huff. “Let’s get matching ears and take a cute picture instead!”

Masahiro’s eyebrows rose. “Wait, don’t you think people will think that we’re dating if you post something like that?”

“So? Most people on my page seem to think I’m dating you anyway,” Ichirou said with a shrug. “I’ll post it without saying that we are, but there’s no problem if people assume it. We don’t know how long we’re gonna keep this up, so…”

Masahiro let in a deep breath, then let out one. “Well, if you’re sure.”

“I am,” Ichirou insisted. “I’ve been considering doing something like this for a while. Especially since I share a lot of my life online.”

“Based on your follower count, I’m surprised that you don’t get more people stopping you,” Masahiro admitted.

“I don’t have that many followers,” Ichirou said with a hum.

They did happen to meet fans of Ichirou’s every once in a while, even having met one today, but for Ichirou it felt like it would be weirder if more people knew who he was. Lots of people knew who Ichika was, as she was going to be the heir to the Kimura Conglomerate, but most people didn’t know about Ichirou, the omega of the Kimura Conglomerate. He simply wasn’t as important as his sister.

After finishing their food and paying for their dinners, the two men left with happily full tummies. Ichirou and Masahiro found a pair of ears fairly quickly, and they took a photo together. Or, rather, Masahiro took the photo, as his arms were long enough to capture them both. Ichirou couldn’t help but hold his breath as Masahiro’s hand gripped his hip for balance. It left a tingling, almost burning feeling where his hand had been at one moment.

They decided to go on just a couple more rides before they got into place to view the nightly fireworks. They went back on the pirate themed ride once again, and Ichirou managed to only grab onto Masahiro’s sleeve on the very last one. The next ride was a pun-filled boat ride. Masahiro laughed at pretty much every single terrible joke, while Ichirou groaned and face-palmed with every single worse joke.

After that ride, it was beginning to get close to eight, when the fireworks would go off. Ichirou and Masahiro went to the huge courtyard in front of the castle, where people had already begun to gather. In fact, a large number of people were going that way, and for a moment, it seemed like Ichirou might get swept away from Masahiro because the stampede of people was pushing them apart. Ichirou found himself getting separated and he reached out towards Masahiro, despite not being able to see him through the crowd.

Just like that, Masahiro grabbed his hand and pulled him into Masahiro’s chest. Ichirou’s mouth went dry, and he felt his face heat up. He looked shyly up to Masahiro, but the taller man didn’t seem to notice. Masahiro was, in fact, looking around at the people walking quickly by them.

“Jeez, people are excited for this. Let’s just hold hands until we get to our spot,” Masahiro said, finally looking down at Ichirou.

Ichirou lowered his head and nodded quickly. “O- okay, sounds good.”

Masahiro led Ichirou towards a nice spot behind a patch of greenery. Ichirou followed after, gripping onto Masahiro’s hand tightly. He was glad that it was slightly dark, because he knew his cheeks were bright red. He really felt safe with Masahiro, and it was embarrassing. He had reached out to Masahiro without even knowing that the other man would be there, but he was. It was enough to make his heart pound, although he couldn’t quite figure out the reason why.

After arriving at the spot, Masahiro released Ichirou’s hand. Ichirou’s hand felt strangely cold after that, so he squirmed a little bit. As more and more people gathered, Ichirou ended up basically leaning up against Masahiro. The back of their hands were pressed up against each other, and some part of Ichirou wanted to just grab onto it. However, his pride and stubbornness refused to allow him to even consider it.

The people were packed into the courtyard like sardines. A hush fell over the audience as an announcement came through the sound system, proclaiming that the firework show was about to begin. Ichirou hopped a little in nervousness and excitement. Lights on the castle began to move a little, as shadows of Rodney Rat and an ensemble came into view. After a preamble and some colors shifting, the first set of fireworks went off.

Ichirou gasped excitedly, leaning forward a little bit. The music swelled, and several more shadows were projected onto the castle. More fireworks began to spurt out, with Ichirou almost jumping in excitement with each one. He really loved firework shows, and he was enthralled by the dancing lights.

Masahiro, meanwhile, was preoccupied with something entirely different. In fact, from the moment Ichirou’s hand, arm, and shoulder had been pressed against him, he had been unable to focus on much else. It was always the most difficult when Ichirou was close to him. It brought out the protective alpha instincts within him, and he craved the ability to wrap his arms around Ichirou and hold him close.

And now, with every flash of light, he could see the wonder, happiness, and excitement written across Ichirou’s face. He found a soft smile pulling at his mouth. He was fairly certain that Ichirou wouldn’t look up at him, so he found himself looking at the shorter man with utter adoration. Seeing Ichirou excited and happy like this… that was truly his joy. If nothing else, he was going to do his best to keep that smile on Ichirou’s face.

As the fireworks exploded in the sky, Ichirou and Masahiro both found themselves looking at something gorgeous.